Writing to your MP
Writing to your MP about alcohol harm can make a real difference! Here we’ve collected some tips on how to write a letter or email to your MP to increase the chance of them taking action.
Why write to your MP?
Your MP is elected to represent you in Parliament and they have a duty to listen to your concerns. There are many ways they can make your voice be heard. MPs can vote on issues related to alcohol harm, raise issues with Government Ministers, ask questions in Parliament on your behalf and even set up a debate on an issue where a Minister will respond on behalf of the Government.
How to write to an MP
To find out who your MP is, enter your postcode into this website. You’ll then be able to see their profile which shows their contact details including their email and constituency office address.
When writing to your MP, make sure you do the following to increase the chances of getting a response:
- Say you are their constituent and give your postcode
- Keep it short – 1-2 pages maximum
- If you are sending a letter, send it to their constituency office rather than their Parliamentary office
- Ask for a response to your letter
What should you write about?
Start by explaining what you are concerned about, what you want your MP to do and ask for them to respond to you telling you what they have done. If you have been personally affected by alcohol harm, it will help to tell your story as well.
You can then point your MP to our list of policy changes we would like to see, as outlined here. Some of our policy asks include: a national programme of support for families affected by a loved one’s alcohol use, tighter restrictions on alcohol marketing and advertising, and reducing the drink-driving limit.
You can also ask your MP to get involved with Alcohol Change UK. You can tell them that they can contact us if they need information on how to support their constituents with alcohol issues. We can also arrange for them to visit a local alcohol treatment service and learn more.
If you know that your MP has already been supporting issues on alcohol harm, you can thank them for the work they’ve done. If not, you can ask them how they’ve worked to support alcohol harm issues and what their future plans are. If you’d like to take your concerns further, you can ask to meet with your MP.
Keeping in contact
If you’ve written to your MP, let us know who you have contacted and what you asked them – this will help us coordinate our efforts. Email us at [email protected], or copy us into your email to your MP.